The NSFW Way Ryan Reynolds Paid Tribute To The Late Burt Reynolds On Twitter

"He did it first."

Legendary actor Burt Reynolds passed away of cardiopulmonary arrest on Thursday at age 82, according to TheHollywood Reporter. Tributes have poured in for the star on social media since news of his death broke. One such tribute comes from Ryan Reynolds — who had something in common with the older star other than a last name.

On Thursday night, the younger Reynolds tweeted the famous photo of Burt Reynolds posing nude for Cosmopolitan magazine in 1972, comparing it to his own spoof of the photo to promote Deadpool. "He did it first. And best. And naked," the star wrote, adding the hashtag #BurtReynolds. The post has received more than 13,000 retweets as of this writing.

Reynolds' centerfold was revolutionary at the time of its publication, and sold all 1.5 million copies of the issue. Although the actor expressed some regret over the photo later in life, he wrote about why he chose to do it in his 2015 memoir But Enough About Me, an excerpt from which was published in Cosmo.

Editor Helen Gurley Brown asked him to pose for the photo as a response to female centerfolds in magazines such as Playboy. Reynolds explained that it "would be a milestone in the sexual revolution," and added, "Helen didn't have to talk me into it. I was flattered and intrigued. I wish I could say that I wanted to show my support for women's rights, but I just thought it would be fun."

Reynolds will be remembered for a lot more than that photo. His film credits included Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance, and Boogie Nights, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe.